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March18, 1930. L. E. PARKER 1,751,170

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Filed Aug. 29, 1927 Patented Mar. 18, 1930 STATES PATENT OFFICE,

L'O'CIAN E. PARKER, 0F WADSWORTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OHIO MATCH- COMPANY,

- i 1 OF WADSWORTI-I, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO IBOX Application filed. August 29, 1927. Serial No. 216,104.

In the vending of small articles, such as book matches and small boxes of matches, by meansof vending machines, it is customary to fill the hoppers of such vending machines by taking the articles from the original packages or containers in which they are packed and placing'them in order in such hoppers.

This is a tedious and time-consuming operation, and in the case of book matches, unless the books are properly and carefully'arranged in the hoppers of the machines, they will not feed therefrom properly when the machine is operated.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an original package or container for book matches and other commodities that are put up as units and put on sale as such, said container having holes in its bottom, at either or both ends, for cooperation with the ejector mechanism of a vending machine, by which the contents of the container may be discharged, the holes being of any desired shape, such as circular or rectangular, and extending transversely of the bottom of the box, and being wholly cut out or of the knockout variety.

The invention consists of a box, that is to say, an orignal package or container, adapted to receive goods in salable units, such as book matches, such boxes being primarily provided for use in vending machines, the bottom of the box, at one or both ends, being provided with holes or openings to receive the ejectors of the vending machine for discharging from the box and vending machine the units in sequence as they come before the ejectors, as I will proceed now more fully to 7 having closed ends, sides and bottoms, and

removable covers, but in my invention the vending machine is designed to receive in its hopper a complete box, that is to say, an original package of this type with the books of matches therein, but with the cover or lid removed, the books being ejected from the hopper and the box therein by appropriate mechanical ejecting mechanism.

In my application for patent for Vending machines, filed June 23, 1927, Serial No. 200,935, I have shown one form of boxes or containers, and a vending machine in which these boxes are used. In the present case, I show similar boxes and also modifications thereof. I 1

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete original package of book matches, apart of the lid or cover thereof being broken away to show the arrangement of the match books therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective View, looking. at the bottom of the box, and showing the bottom provided with ejecting holes at bothends, the holes being entirely out through. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View, looking at the bottom of the box, and with the holes of knockout or partially severed construction. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, looking at the inside of the bottom of a box, in which the openings are slots. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, looking at the inside of the bottom of the box, in which the holes are of the knockout or partially excised variety, of slot form.

I have shown the invention as embodiedin a box in which thesales units are packed in two columns or rows, and the openings in thebottom of the body of the box are arranged opposite these columns, so that the lowermost two of the stacks or rowsof sales units may be ejected simultaneously, but I do not limit my invention to such a box, or to the number of rows of sales units therein.

The box may be of pasteboard, cardboard or-other paper fabric, or material, and com'-. posed of a body 1, a removable lid or cover 2, a bottom 3. The bottom 3 of the body is provided with holes 4, of any suitable shape to receive the ejecting mechanism of a vending machine and permit it to contact with the contents of'the box and ejectithe same. As already indicated, the body of the box is in- V with tllQ-tJOX'Gl' removed and with the open end of the box facing the discharge portion of the machine, and the bottom of the box facing the ejecting mechanism, so that asthe ejecting mechanism is moved into contact with thebox, it will enter the holes and eject the contents, unit by unit, successively. IV here the units are arranged in the box in stacks or parallel rows, there will be an equal number of pairs of holes L- Thesepairs of holes may be arranged at opposite ends of the box so thatthe box may be put in the machine either end down. s

Instead of entirely cutting-out the holes as shown in Fig. 2, these holes may be merely incised or partly severed, on the knockout principle, as indicated at 5, Fig. 3, the movement of the ejectors serving tokn-ock out the parts,

Instead of having round holes to correspond with'round ejectors, I may use rec tangular holes, at either or both ends of the box, as indicated at6, inFig. l, for cooperation with similar ejectors in the vending machine. These rectangular holes'may be cut out, as shown in Fig. 4, or they may be of the incised or partly severed or knockout'type, asshown at 7., in Fig. 5. p

Other variations inthe details of construction may be made within theprinciple of the invention and theclaims following.

zVVhat I claim is v r 1. An originalcontainer for salable units adapted for use in connection with adispensthe shape of a box in which the salable units are adapted to be packed in an orderly manner and having a bottom provided with an aperture through which an ejector device is adapted to pass in order to discharge said units. 7 r v 2. An original container for salable units adapted for use in connection with a'dispensing mechanism, the said container being in the shape of a box in which the salable units are adapted to be packed in an orderly manner in a plurality of rows and having a' bottom provided with apertures in line with said rows and through which ejector devices I are adapted to pass in order to discharge said 7 units. i

adapted for use in connection with a dispensing mechanism, the said container being ing mechanism, the said container being inv adapted for use'in connection with a dis e pensing mechanism, the said container being in the shape of a box in which the salable units are adapted to be packed in an orderly manner, said container having a removable cover and having a bottom provided with an aperture through which anejector deviceis adapted to pass in order'to discharge said units after removal of said cover.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of August, A. D. 1927.

LUCIAN E. PARKER. 

